Matt Haig, the No. 1 New York Times-bestselling author of “The Midnight Library,” will discuss his new novel “The Midnight Train” with Pasadena author Lian Dolan at 4 p.m. Sunday at Pasadena Presbyterian Church.
The conversation, hosted by Vroman’s Bookstore, is a ticketed event that includes one copy of the book at check-in and will be followed by a public book signing, according to the bookstore’s event listing.
Haig’s new novel was published in the United States on May 26 by Viking Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House. The publisher describes it as “a magical, time-travelling love story, from the world of The Midnight Library.” The book follows Wilbur Budd, an 81-year-old bookshop chain owner who, on the brink of his death, boards a train that allows him to revisit important moments of his life, including his honeymoon with his wife in Venice, according to the publisher and Wikipedia summaries drawn from the publisher’s materials.
“The Midnight Train” is Haig’s ninth novel for adults and is scheduled to be published in 25 territories, according to publishing records. The hardcover lists at $30.
Dolan, who lives in Pasadena, is the USA Today bestselling author of “Helen of Pasadena,” “Elizabeth the First Wife,” “The Sweeney Sisters,” “Lost and Found in Paris,” “The Marriage Sabbatical” and “Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding,” according to her author page. She is the creator, producer and host of the “Satellite Sisters” podcast, which she launched with her four sisters, and received the Podcast Pioneer Award from Women in Podcasting in 2017, according to her biography.
Haig’s earlier novel “The Midnight Library” was a No. 1 New York Times bestseller and has sold more than 14 million copies worldwide, according to Penguin Random House. His other adult novels include “The Life Impossible,” “How to Stop Time,” “The Humans” and “The Radleys,” and he is also the author of the memoirs “Reasons to Stay Alive” and “Notes on a Nervous Planet,” along with several children’s books, according to the publisher and Vroman’s event biography. His work has been published in fifty territories, according to that biography.
Speaking about a separate book club event hosted during his United Kingdom tour aboard an LNER train, Haig said: “I have travelled this train route many times, so it is quite fitting to be hosting a book club on an LNER train for a novel titled The Midnight Train! I’ve visited many places on the route, including Edinburgh, Newark and London as part of my book tour, so the opportunity to meet fellow literature lovers has been a real highlight!”
Reviewing the novel, Stefanie Milligan of the Christian Science Monitor wrote that “Matt Haig’s newest tale achieves modern classic status.” Publishers Weekly described it as “touching” and said Haig “authentically evokes Wilbur’s fears and regrets over the course of a life marked by sacrifice.”
Pasadena Presbyterian Church, established in 1875, is located at 585 East Colorado Boulevard. The venue is not the Vroman’s main store, which is at 695 East Colorado Boulevard. Tickets and additional information are available through Vroman’s Bookstore at vromansbookstore.com or by calling (626) 449-5320. Email inquiries may be sent to promo@vromansbookstore.com.
The signing will follow the on-stage conversation, the bookstore said.
